on the broadcast tonight, who can they trust? another deadly attack on american forces by the very people who were supposed to be their partners. tonight the urgent new orders from the pentagon for all u.s. troops in afghanistan. danger zone. new evacuations tonight as massive wildfires rage out of control. entire towns are facing walls of flames. crime and punishment. guilty verdicts for three women set off a fire storm. protests here in the u.s. and a public outcry around the world. and to the rescue. strangers risk their lives to save two sisters trapped in a race against time. the incredible kindness of strangers caught on camera. the incredible kindness of strangers caught on camera. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good evening. brian is off tonight. i'm lester holt. it happened again. american troops shot and killed by those they've been trained to trust. afghan security forces who were supposed to be working alongside the u.s. and nato troops. in fact, there were two so-called insider attacks in afghanistan today, including one that left two u.s. soldiers dead. since last year the number of cases of afghan forces turning their weapons on u.s. and other nato troops has risen steadily and has tonight prompted orders from the pentagon for u.s. service members to keep their guns at the ready even in places they might assume to be safe. we have two reports beginning in kabul with nbc. >> reporter: good evening lester. today's attack was the latest in a series of attacks that have claimed dozens of american lives. the pentagon also today saying u.s. service members here are required to carry fully loaded magazines in their weapons at

all times. today's attack occurred in western afghanistan, farah province. according to officials u.s. special forces were there to train the afghan local police, villagers trained to protect their home towns. as they were handing out weapons one of the afghans took his and turned it on the americans, killing two in cold blood. the assailant himself was then shot and killed. so far this year there have been more than 30 so-called insider attacks claiming 39 coalition lives. most of those are americans. it is eroding the trust between the afghan and u.s. forces here at a crucial time as the united states tries to withdraw from its longest war. lester? >> we turn now to our pentagon correspondent jim miklaszewski. mick, what's the word? are we looking at a series of rogue attacks or does the pentagon believe this might be part of a coordinated, new campaign? >> reporter: well, lester, there is deep concern here at the

pentagon over this growing threat and for good reason. first of all, they say no matter how many safeguards are put into place as long as afghans armed with guns are working side by side with american forces, it's impossible to totally prevent these kinds of attacks. there's also a threat to the u.s. strategy. any loss in trust could derail u.s. plans to train and equip enough afghan forces so that all american combat troops can come out of afghanistan. today a senior defense official told us that there is serious concern and growing fear that these attacks by so-called friendly forces could become as big as ieds, those deadly roadside bombs that have killed and wounded thousands of americans in afghanistan. >> jim miklaszewski at the pentagon tonight, thanks. the news broke a week ago tonight that mitt romney had chosen wisconsin congressman paul ryan as his running mate thrusting ryan and his record

into the national spotlight. tonight ryan is on the defensive over whether he asked for millions in stimulus money despite voting against president obama's stimulus package while calling it wasteful spending. nbc's ron mott is on the trail for us tonight in arlington, virginia. ron, good evening. >> reporter: hey, lester. good evening to you. a week of fending off attacks on his vision for medicare, paul ryan is now responding to renewed accusations of engaging in political double speak. >> to be really clear, we have got to stop spending money we don't have. >> reporter: paul ryan has been among the harshest critics of president obama's 2009 stimulus package voting against the $787 billion program that passed with democratic majorities on capitol hill. he dubbed it a wasteful spending spree. some republican governors like louisiana's bobby jindal and rick perry of texas refused to accept it. now chair of the house budget committee ryan has denied seeking those same funds for his home state of wisconsin.

once during a boston radio call-in show two years ago -- >> no i'm not one of those people who votes for something and then writes to the government to ask them to send us money. i did not request any stimulus money. >> reporter: again just two days ago. you had asked for stimulus money for your district. is that report accurate? >> i never asked for stimulus. i don't recall asking -- >> reporter: hours after the campaign said his staff not the congressman had sent letters to the secretaries of labor and energy with his signature. today ryan clarified even more. in a statement he said, after having these letters called to my attention i checked into them and they were treated as constituent service requests. they should have been handled differently and i take responsibility for that. regardless, it's clear that the obama stimulus did nothing to stimulate the economy, and now the president is asking to do it all over again. one wisconsin nonprofit he helped got more than $20 million in stimulus money. in virginia he dealt with heckling over the discrepancy. democrats were quick to exploit

the apparent contradictions. >> he said he was asking for those funds for a project in his district because they would create jobs. and then out of the other side of his mouth he says the reason he opposed the stimulus is because it did nothing and didn't create any jobs. >> reporter: ryan tried to get back on the attack. >> he has run out of ideas and that, unfortunately, is why this campaign that he's waging is one based on frustration and anger. hope and change has become attack and blame. >> reporter: now the sniping between the two campaigns was even put in writing today. the obama campaign urged mitt romney to release five years' worth of his tax returns and in return they promised to stop criticizing him for not releasing any more than that. the response from the romney camp, thanks but no thanks. incidentally, just tonight, lester, paul ryan released his past two tax returns. >> all right. ron mott for us tonight, thanks. nbc's david gregory moderator of "meet the press" joins me with some analysis. good to have you here.

paul ryan did release the 2010 and 2011 tax returns. i think he paid 15.9% effective rate in 2010, 20% last year. does this take some of the heat off of romney right now in terms of the release of more of his tax returns? >> no. i think it'll only ratchet up more pressure at least by the obama campaign on governor romney to release more than what he said he'd do a couple years. in this particular case, based on what governor romney said his running mate paid a higher rate than he did. he too has investment income. one reason governor romney's rate is so low is because he doesn't earn a paycheck. he gets investment income so it is taxed as a dividend. as ron alluded to this is a political stunt, the obama campaign wanting to keep the attention on tax returns. maybe some people think it's important. others will think it's a distraction. they want to keep the story alive and here we are talking about it as well. >> and the ryan pick was supposed to change the conversation and here we're back on taxes. let's talk about paul ryan.

a week on the trail so far and it has been his record that's been under scrutiny. is it more or less than we'd expect this early in a vp? >> i think it's about what you'd expect. he'll get a lot of questions about past votes. he is a member for congress 14 years, positions that he has taken. i think it's par for the course in terms of what you'd expect in terms of scrutiny. it is a reminder there is still more to learn about paul ryan, more than just medicare and his view on the budget. where does he stand on social issues, foreign policy issues? there is a lot more scrutiny to come. he has shifted the debate from jobs in the economy to heavy focus on the budget and medicare. >> david, thanks very much. we want to remind folks david will be joined by the chairman of the democratic and republican governors associations. martin o'malley of maryland and bob mcdonald of virginia and former new york mayor rudolph guiliani sunday on "meet the press" here on this nbc station. now to the west and another day of fighting wildfires that have spread over a huge area

west of the mississippi. federal officials are tracking dozens of major fires across the country and though some people were able to return to their homes today, for others the question is when do we leave? nbc's kristen dahlgren is just outside ellensburg, washington. >> reporter: for the fifth day flames raced through the dense pine forest. little to stop them but the efforts of firefighters and nonstop assaults on the blaze from all sides. those with homes nearby are keeping a close eye. >> what do i do? i mean, continue on? oh, my god. >> reporter: making the decision on when it's time to flee and what to bring. >> the neighbor said the first day we had 20 minutes to evacuate. what would you do in 20 minutes? >> reporter: the awful reality and fear over what will be left isn't just playing out here. 52 out of control wild fires are still burning across the country. in idaho the vacation community of featherville, population 500 in the summer, is bracing for a

blaze. the trinity ridge fire just 4% contained. >> contact is still inevitable. it is going to get here. >> reporter: residents could only listen as officials tried to prepare them. >> it makes you absolutely want to cry. >> reporter: even idaho's governor is preparing to evacuate his vacation home. >> i'm going to leave when they ask me to leave. i hope everybody else will, too. >> reporter: there is already one death and there are 14 injuries fighting fires in idaho. these pictures taken at the state spring fire show just how intense the fight is on the front lines. as temperatures across the region continue to soar back in washington a new fear of what the weekend might bring. >> we've also got thunderstorm activity that's predicted, dry lightning, for saturday. >> reporter: lightning that could spark new flames and make this just the beginning. and the evacuation level where we are has just now been raised.

the wind and the fire have switched direction. we were told we'd have to move quickly out of here if the fire comes over that ridge. that is where we're watching an all out air assault to stop that from happening. still a long evening ahead. >> thank you. of course one of the reasons the fire season has been so bad, the extreme drought that has much of the country in its grip. government forecasters say dry conditions will likely last through november in many areas from the west to the plains, midwest, and south. the lack of rain has some states taking extreme measures to get water where it's needed. >> reporter: with no relief from above, they're now digging underground for water. it's part of a statewide emergency program to dig new wells for missouri farmers and ranchers like michelle christopherson. her pastures are parched. she has been struggling to keep her 100 cattle fed and hydrated.

>> you don't like to see your live stockust walk up and die on you. >> reporter: 95% of the state is suffering extreme levels of drought. since last week those areas suffering the most jumped from roughly 14% to more than 35%. with fields withering and ponds drying up -- >> two inches of rain total. >> reporter: farmer rusty lee has already lost much of his squash and corn crop and stands to lose more if he doesn't get help. >> we'd be lost without that new well. >> reporter: his current well just does not have the capacity to irrigate all of his 75 acres, forcing tough choices. >> to try to keep some crops you'd have to sacrifice some. this is one of the fields that were sacrificed. >> we need water quick. some of these people can't wait. they've been out of water for a while and it's just desperate. >> reporter: so far more than 3700 missouri farmers have been approved for a new well. under the emergency program the state will pay up to 90% of the cost. farmers already cash strapped to pay for the rest.

michelle christopherson will have to take out a loan to pay the $12,000 for her new well but the sound of drilling is music to her ears. this is what you've been praying for. >> that and a little rain. >> reporter: after drilling 540 feet, one of her prayers was answered. >> we have water. yes. >> reporter: finding a fix means this rancher may now have a fighting chance. nbc news, truxton, missouri. still ahead as "nightly news" continues three women get serious prison time for something a lot of folks don't even consider a crime. tonight outrage from paul mccartney to madonna to the white house. later, making a difference for a lot of modern brides who have been otherwise engaged.

we're back with a story that set off a fire storm around the world tonight. it began six months ago with an obscure protest in a moscow church. arrest followed, a trial, and today a prison sentence that is raising questions about justice in vladimir putin's russia. here is nbc's duncan golestani. >> reporter: inside the courtroom, defiant smiles when the verdicts came. these three protesters are educated, middle class, two of them mothers. they say the whole trial has been unfair and decided to laugh in the face of what they see as putin's oppressive system. outside the court anger and a crackdown by police.

even the chess star gary kasparov was arrested. this kind of reaction is one reason the punk band says it started protesting in the first place. this is the so-called punk prayer that got them arrested back in february. they stormed the altar of a moscow cathedral calling on the virgin mary to chase president vladimir putin away. it infuriated the faithful and the authorities. critics say the arrests were putin's personal revenge and this trial was simply an instrument of his oppression. >> putin is a man who likes to show his vengeance and for them it seemed like the perfect chance to do it. >> reporter: the trial brought international condemnation from stars such as paul mccartney, sting, and madonna who had the band's name written across her back when she performed in moscow last week. >> i am against censorship and i hope they do not have to serve seven years in jail.

that would be a tragedy. >> reporter: in the end the sentence was two years not seven. for some even that was too much. the white house called it disproportionate and it was greeted with protests in cities around the world but moscow may not be listening. >> russia doesn't often care what the western world thinks. it likes to be an independent center of power. >> reporter: the three women plan to appeal but critics argue they weren't the only ones who lost today. they say russian democracy, itself, was on trial. duncan golestani, nbc news, london. we're back in a moment with the incredible kindness of strangers. a heroic rescue for two sisters trapped and time running out to save them.

an associated press photographer on his way to cover a story in mississippi found himself in the middle of one yesterday when a fiery car accident left a woman trapped and facing death.

that's when nearly two dozen total strangers pitched in to save her. here's nbc's mark potter. >> reporter: moments after an suv careened out of control, struck a tree, and caught fire in a highway median strip, 15 to 20 fellow motorists stopped their cars and rushed to help. the driver suffered severe head injuries. but an associated press photographer arrived on the scene and found her trapped behind a wheel begging for help. >> that was one of the most horrible feelings in my life to walk up there -- run up there and see her pinned and to hear her screams as the flames were getting bigger, her screams for help. >> reporter: herbert and others flagged down other cars and trucks looking for fire extinguishers. navy petty officer melissa estes arrived and found another person in the car, the driver's handicapped sister, and pulled her from the back seat injuring herself in the group rescue effort.

>> complete strangers just came together to achieve a common goal to help somebody out that they don't even know. >> reporter: as the rescuers worked feverishly to save the driver from the flames, unexpected relief finally arrived -- a big cement truck with a hose and lots of water. >> the cement mixer was critical because he was the first one to get water on her to keep the flames off of her. and that was her guardian angel. >> reporter: when firefighters arrived, the driver was finally extracted and flown to a hospital. pictures and video were then taken by the ap photographer, who waited until a rescue was guaranteed to take out his cameras, to record the heroics of strangers. mark potter, nbc news, miami. chicago congressman jesse jackson jr. recently revealed that he is being treated for bipolar disorder at the mayo clinic in minnesota. yesterday he had a visitor there, former congressman patrick kennedy, who underwent treatment for depression and addiction at the same facility. nbc's kelly o'donnell spoke to

kennedy, who said the meeting was really emotional. >> this has taken him down. i mean, nothing like a mental illness can threaten your life like what depression has done. and i think that he knows that this is a very serious life-and-death struggle that he's involved with. >> you can find kelly's full interview with patrick kennedy on our website nbc nightly news.com. this caught our attention today. 14 years later a reunion of bill clinton and bill clinton. during the former president's recent visit to africa he reconnected with a young man named after him who he held in his arms when he was just days old during a previous trip to uganda back in 1998. up next, the extraordinary outpouring for a lot of brides to be off the battle field and into the boutique.

two developing stories on the peninsula, then on the loose, a search for a high risk sex offender who escaped from a local hospital. and a new penalty for rowdy football fans. the news the next. a difference report and an update on a story we brought you last december. an effort to help brides serving in the military cope with the expense of a wedding. nbc's rehema ellis reports on a small effort to make a difference that's grown into a big one.

>> reporter: at wedding angels bridal outside atlanta 31 women have come for the chance to choose their ideal gown from dozens of brand new dresses. >> this is it. >> reporter: eager to be part of a program we first told you about last year. >> i like it a lot. >> reporter: giving wedding dresses to military couples. >> reporter: that is a big ticket item that can be tough to afford. this army staff sergeant tiffany moore cherishes her day trying on gown after gown. with a medical retirement on the horizon, future finances unknown, every dollar saved is crucial for tiffany and her fiance. >> to get my dress today and not pay for it and to be donated to me is a dream. >> reporter: from this little boutique in massachusetts brides across america coordinated to give away 1,000 dresses last year nationwide. but this year they gave away 800 dresses in one month alone, far

beyond expectations. >> we just planted one little seed and we've made it nationwide. >> reporter: heidi jensen launched brides across america five years ago. >> our whole mission was really to say a pure grateful "thank you." >> reporter: this summer 30 salons across 18 states supported the cause. donations from individual donors and designers come in daily, quickly filling what little storage heidi has. >> over here we have wisconsin and georgia. >> reporter: she even caught washington's attention earning her an invite to the white house this spring. >> this one is gorgeous with all the beading. >> reporter: and bridal salons continue to be critical to heidi's mission. >> we said yes the first time and once we met the brides and heard the stories, there was just no way we could stop doing it. >> reporter: one program, giving military brides one more reason to smile. rehema ellis, nbc news,

georgetown, massachusetts. >> that's "nightly news" for this friday night. thanks for being here. i'm lester holt. i'll see you later on "dateline" and all weekend long. brian will be back here on monday. brian will be back here on monday. good night, everyone. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com the santa clara county sheriff's department, the bomb squad is on the scene and a shelter in place is under way for sis punish shus article found between east charleston and middle field road. residents have been dealing with this situation since just before 3:00 this afternoon. the nbc bay area news desk confirms a bomb squad robot is making its way to this device.